"Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story" is a captivating tale that showcases the strength and determination of its protagonist. Through the lens of Lois Lane, Kuhn explores themes of empowerment and breaking societal norms. This thrilling narrative leaves readers inspired and eager for more empowering stories.

Girl Taking Over is a newly released comic by DC Comics and the focus is all about a young Lois Lane. Lois knows exactly what her future is going to hold. First thing, she is going to rock her summer internship which will help her land her ultimate goal: being a writer for the Daily Planet. This becomes alot harder when she arrives in the big city and finds out that her dream internship is not exactly what she pictured it to be. Here are some bullet points regarding what I loved:

I really liked the way that the character of Lois was written. There was a great balance of both character and narrative development.

I loved the more modern approach and the fact that this was fully Lois' story. She is not a side character for the hero. She is the heroine.

Diversity has such an important role in this story and I loved it. It will allow younger and older readers to see themselves in these characters.

The illustrations are stunning! They are such a good representation of what is going on each page. They are also so full of energy.

There is a hint of romance between Lois and her co-worker Clark which I loved because I've always enjoyed their story.

From what I have seen Girl Taking Over is supposed to be a one story book. I can't help but be hopeful that this will be changed. I really feel there is still so much that could be done with the characters. This was Lois' first big adventure. There has to be more adventure out there for her somewhere!

This was a delightful read. I really appreciated the story that they were telling and fighting racism in a system that is severly broken. Especially when them revealing where the corruption lies could risk their futures.
Besides the topics of racism, there is also discussions on the diaspora, the feeling of being part of the diaspora, and the emotional toll it takes on POC when they have to fight microaggressions, and overt racism every day. I enjoyed the family dynamic, and that the way the relationship between Lois's cousin and herself was based on assumptions and how you deal with racism while growing up looks different.

Wonderful story, the artwork was colourful and magnificent. I am always so excited when DC comes out with these stories, because they never, ever, disappoint.

Lois Lane has wanted to be a reporter for the Daily Planet since she was a young girl. When she gets to the big city to start her internship, she finds out she is rooming with her former best friend whom she has fallen out with. To top that off, Lois finds out that the woman who hired her has been forced to sell her company, which is being taken over by an egotistical sexist with no moral compass. Soon Lois is a coffee runner instead of a writer, and she finds out that her roommate is fighting to get her work accepted in her theater company as well. Can the girls band together to fight injustice, or will they both give up their dreams before they've really started?

I enjoyed this graphic novel overall, especially since it was a different twist from the original story. Lois and her friends were inspiring while they fought for the truth, coming up against formidable foes with money, power, and widespread influence. The colorful, well constructed illustrations were perfectly matched to the text and story line and made the characters come alive. I didn't care for some of the language and I didn't personally agree with some of the characters' agendas, but other than that, I believe anyone who enjoys superhero stories and graphic novels will enjoy this one as well.

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book through NetGalley. A positive review was not required, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

I had a hard time putting this graphic novel down. We meet a teenaged Lois Lane who is ready to have the best summer ever. Almost immediately, her plans seem to take many unexpected turns. Living with an ex friend for the summer doesn’t help make her feel much better. Yet when a shocking truth comes out, these two girls end up taking drastic action. Just when it looks like it is all coming apart, something amazing ends up happening. As this graphic novel comes to a close, life for Lois Lane will never be the same.

I really enjoyed Lois Lane getting top billing for once! This was a lively story, and just great fun to read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was super fun! I love that this focused specifically on Lois and how she got her start. It was adjacent to the superheroes in a way, but was also able to separate from it. I loved it. I want another!

The Review

As a lifelong fan of Lois Lane, I loved this new take on the iconic character from DC Comics. The way the author was able to incorporate elements of DC lore and characters into the narrative without making this a typical superhero-driven story was great to see, as it allowed Lois and the cast of characters to shine in their own light. The book had a great balance of both character and narrative development, giving readers equal time to enjoy this modern take on this small corner of the DC Universe while also giving time for these characters to shine.

To me, the heart of this story rested in the retconned character development and the important themes the narrative brought to life. Lois Lane became the perfect character to voice these themes, having been a longtime icon of journalistic integrity and a voice for the truth in DC Comics. The emphasis on issues such as racism, sexism, and the complications of modern friendships in different cultures made this story flow smoothly, while the new take on Lois as an Asian-American young woman just starting out on her path to becoming a journalist allowed both her character to grow and the importance of her Asian culture to shine through in this brilliant story. Combined with the warm and creative artwork of Arielle Jovellanos made this a captivating graphic novel.

The Verdict

Memorable, iconic, and entertaining, author Sarah Kuhn and illustrator Arielle Jovelianos’s “Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story” is a must-read graphic novel of 2023 and one of my contenders for the top graphic novel of the year. The heartfelt commentary on the battle between overall acceptance in our society versus the “anti-woke” proponents and the overall message to give people the voice to speak their truth made this a captivating and thoughtful DC Comics graphic novel.

2.5 stars

So maybe my expectations were too high going in or this my childhood dislike of Lois Lane rearing its ugly head but this was not for me. I don't think this was a particularly bad graphic novel but I also did not find this to be groundbreaking.

The plot felt extremely simplistic and heavy-handed in its exploration of very complex issues such as racism, specifically the perpetual foreigner phenomenon and Asian fetishization, Yellowface, and mental health. I think Kuhn was perhaps a bit too ambitious in wanting to deal with all of these issues while also trying to keep things peppy and light and ultimately it failed to be either of the two.

Additionally, the color palette and even art style was not my jam. It felt very 90s despite the smart phones and the key role social media played in this graphic novel. I'm not a fan of Y2K/90s aesthetics and this book was that aesthetic on steroids, if you do enjoy that era's fashion, I say give this a go but if not, maybe do what Superman should do with Kryptonite (avoid it).

I love me a little Lois Lane! The well known side character takes center stage in this story and she is turning heads! Wonderful for young and old readers alike. You're never too old for a hero.

Thanks to Net Galley and DC Comics for this ARC. The embargo is over and I can say that Sarah Kuhn totally crushed this. It is hard not to like Lois Lane, but this YA version of her, told through Kuhn's unique perspective is amazing. There are going to be haters who are mad that Kuhn made Lois Asian American. Here is what I have to say to those haters...pipe down. No one cares about your hot takes. This is a love letter to Lois Lane and I am here for it. Arielle Jovellanos' art is frenetic and delightful. We fly across the page as the story unfolds.
This is a true YA book, so folks who think "Girl Taking Over" is for 8-year-olds, be warned. There are a few four and five-letter words that you may not want that kid to read. Again, I am here for it. Lois totally swears all the time. The best line in Snyder's Man of Steel was when Lois said, "If we're done measuring dicks..." Clearly, Kuhn thought that was a good line too.

Special shout out to my pal Sam Lotfi who did some layouts on a few pages. Always happy to see his name.

Get this book people!

In "Girl Taking Over: a Lois Lane Story" Sarah Kuhn presents a compelling YA tale while re-envisioning the iconic titular character. The overall result is a fun and engaging story that is true to the main character's roots and also touches on themes of exclusion, xenophobia and systemic racism in a way that is appropriate for tween readers.

Key to Kuhn's novel is the portrayal of Lois as a driven young woman with Asian roots. Some other reviewers have chosen to describe this as a retcon, which is unfortunate since reinterpreting characters is a pretty standard and often rewarding approach in modern graphic novels. Most essentially, though, the portrayal of Lois is not a reinterpretation as much as it is an expansion. Lois remains the same fearless seeker of truth and justice that we have come to expect over the years.

In any case, Lois' Asian American identity in this book reinforces and emphasizes many of the traits the character is known for. Faced with an insensitive boss who degrades her and uses her ethnic identity in a cynical attempt to promote himself she doubles down, risks the destruction of her future career and becomes a champion for the oppressed and the voiceless. Could we expect anything less? The fact that her main opponents in this book are not comic book gangsters or death-ray wielding mad scientists, but misogynistic self proclaimed hetero, cis-male, white men in powerful positions may make some readers uncomfortable, but it should ring true for many, many others.

Finally, this book may seem a little heavy handed in its treatment of it villains, but when was Lois Lane ever subtle? Would we the readers even want her to be or recognize her if she was?

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher, DC Entertainment, which provided me with a eARC in exchange for my Honest feedback.

A very cute and colorful Girl Power-y teen Lois Lane comic that feels like it's for younger readers (tweens?) even though Lois herself is old enough to be looking at colleges and living in a city for the summer with only a former bff as a roommate.

Bold colors and a young Lois Lane dominate this story by Sarah Kuhn and illustrated by Arielle Arielle Jovellanos. Lois heads to the big city for an internship but realizes in horror that she is stuck with her frenemy Miki. The two share an apartment and just about everything about them is opposite, down to their sleeping patterns. Miki stays up late being loud while Lois glowers in her bed. Thankfully the two find common ground just as Lois gets into the groove with her internship where she works for the worst boss ever.

I appreciate that these YA DC graphic novels are giving fresh eyes to the origins of some of their most popular characters. There are some tweaks to the classic Lois character, in Girl Taking Over, Lois is Asian-American and deals with racism and uncomfortable questions about her background.

Girl Taking Over: A Lois Lane Story is a fun and quick read for young adult DC fans who appreciate colorfully detailed illustrations and light dialogue between classic characters.

This was a fantastic graphic novel. I really enjoyed the story as well as the artwork. I didn't know anything about Lois Lane before I read that and I think that this introduction to her character was very well done. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about Lois Lane.

This, more than any of the other DC books I've read from their YA imprint, feels almost removed from the traditional DC canon. These DC Young Adult titles can often feel like a slightly modified origin story rather than just a story that can stand on its own, and outside of the occasional reference to the Daily Planet and Metropolis, this could easily just be a story about a girl who happens to be named Lois Lane. I should stress this is not at all a complaint from me, but for people who go in wanting that sort of thing that is not what this is. Lois is a fun character and it is nice to see her stand on her own without Clark or Superman, seriously I appreciated that I didn't notice any wink and nod references to him (or if they were there they were subtle enough that I missed them completely.) The art was a lot of fun too, the bright Lisa Frank color scheme really worked for me. This was a quick, fun read that would work even for non-DC readers.

Lois Lane has a life plan and she’s not going to let anything get in her way! Even when she has to room with her ex-best friend, her coveted internship at CatCo goes awry, and she has to deal with racist plagiarizers.

It’s so fun to read this fresh, colorful, and diverse take on Lois’s story (and some other familiar faces in the DC universe, like Cat Grant) that is sure to be a hit with teens/young adult readers. I can see aspects of her experience as an Asian teen being relatable to people, especially when it comes to her drive to succeed in her chosen career, and the pressure from both her family and society to fight for opportunities as a woman of color.

Although the story presents itself as Lois just trying to have the best summer ever, it becomes more than that when she opens up to more of the city, the cool people around her, and the friend she’s lost touch with but still cares about deeply. In addition to the wonderful writing, I also really enjoyed the artwork by Arielle Jovellanos - it brings the story to life with bold and exuberant color.

This was an exciting take on Lois Lane's backstory. It demonstrates her values, insight into her Asian-American background, and reasons for becoming a journalist. It gives Lois a superhero aspect even if she isn't clad in gear. It was inspiring, motivational and enjoyable. The illustrations are colorful and creative. It was enjoyable to read in every aspect.

4 Stars!

This is my first time requesting books from DC Comics. But when I saw this book I just had to give it a try. Lois goes through a lot in this book, and I couldn't help but root for her.
The book's cover is stylish, colorful, and suits the theme of the story. I really enjoyed reading this book, and recommend it to readers.

My thanks to DC Comics/DC Entertainment and NetGallery for a digital copy of this book for my review!

Lois Lane is a young woman with GOALS. It's just her and her *Life Plan* notebook against the world. Next step in the plan: a summer internship in National City at CatCo, a lifestyle publication headed up by the most badass woman in journalism, Cat Grant—an opportunity that launch her dreams into reality as a reporter.

That is until...the plan falls apart.

In this YA graphic novel, Lois gets her own absolutely charming, engaging, and inspiring story. She is a fully 3D character with layers and complexities, one part of which is her experience as an Asian woman. This is Lois before her time with the Daily Planet or Clark Kent. Her story is full of heart and grit and unbelievably powerful relationships with family and friends and maybe even a boyfriend? (Hint: It's not *just* Lois and her notebook against the world.) I absolutely love Lois' support system: her mom, her cousin/roommate/frenemy Miki, and her fellow interns Jasmin and Noah. We see her navigating racism on personal, professional, and societal levels, and we also see her experiencing pure joy. More than anything, this story is a GIRL POWER ANTHEM about truth and justice.

Sarah Kuhn's story and Arielle Jovellanos' artwork are *made for each other*. I was immediately smitten with the cheerful colorwork by Olivia Pecini. All the little nuanced details in the imagery and language made me smile. The design of Lois' Life Plan notebook was clearly done with love by someone who *gets it*: sticky notes and highlighters and washi tape OH MY! I saw a billboard for tarot readings somewhere in National City. ☺️ One of my favorite lines is when Miki says to Lois, "Lo! Now is not the time to do a journalism!" Hehe.

I am going to make sure my library has this on the shelf, and I'll be recommending it left and right!

Note: I don't know the whole Superman story that well, so that I means I also don't really know adult-Lois that well, either. That knowledge is definitely NOT a prerequisite for enjoying this comic. I don't know if this story contradicts Lois' character throughout DC canon, but it certainly adds awesome depth to her as an independent woman.

Full review posted to Goodreads on 4/1/23: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5386368050